2013 NFL Draft: Oakland Raiders Top 15 Draft Picks Since 2000

They’re selections at times have been peculiar and they have a history of finding some great flops. Players like JaMarcus Russell and Robert Gallery come to mind as some of the worst Oakland draft picks since 2000, but there have been some good ones.

The funny thing is the Raiders have traded a lot of draft picks and therefore there are only a handful of selections to consider. In fact, my original list of good draft picks totaled 19 selections for 15 slots. I think it’s sad that out of 13 years, only 19 picks were good enough to make this list and even scarier that most of the picks come from five or six classes.

Many of the picks were first or second round selections, but there are some later picks which made the list. Where a player was selected was more of a tiebreaker than anything else. A first-round pick who performs like a first-round pick will get better preference than a fourth-round pick playing like a second-round pick. At the same time, a fifth-round pick who makes a big impact will jump a first-round selection that isn’t making that much of an impact.

There is hope the Raiders will not screw up their pick in this year’s draft because the last couple of years have been the best thus far for Oakland. If Reggie McKenzie can find some great talent with his few picks, it will be a major success for the Raiders.

8. Darrius Heyward-Bey

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Heyward-Bey has not established himself as a premier wide receiver in the NFL, but he's been pretty good. The 2009 first-round selection will get better as he gets healthier and more accustomed to the new offense.

1. Sebastian Janikowski

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Is there any doubt Janikowski is the best draft pick Oakland's had in the last 13 years? Taking a kicker with the 17th overall pick is risky, but the Raiders must have known how much of an impact Janikowski would have. He has won so many games for Oakland and he is one of the best kickers in the league.

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